UVA Volleyball Continues Losing Skid to Start ACC Play

Virginia dropped a pair of four-set matches against Pitt and Duke this week

Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics

It has been rough sledding for the Cavaliers through the first two weeks of ACC play. After dropping a pair of five-set heartbreakers against NC State and North Carolina last week, the UVA volleyball team suffered two more losses to Pittsburgh and Duke this week, both in four sets. 

Wednesday (9/28) - Pittsburgh 3, Virginia 1

It was going to be a tough match to defeat the No. 10 Pittsburgh Panthers, a team that made the Final Four last year. While the Cavaliers came out swinging and stole one set from the Panthers, that was all they could muster as they fell 25-23, 19-25, 16-25, 15-25.

The Cavaliers built off of the energy of the crowded Memorial Gymnasium to start the first set off strong. As a team, UVA hit .423 with 14 kills and only three errors. Grace Turner had five of those kills and Abby Tadder and Mary Shaffer each had three.

The Panthers responded from there, holding the Cavaliers to hitting percentages of less than zero as a team. The UVA front row played some of its best defense of the season, with Abby Tadder leading the way with nine blocks and Veresia Yon and Grace Turner adding seven apiece. However, the Panther block was impressive as well, and the Pittsburgh hitters were able to get around the block for 53 kills by the end of the match.

To go with her six blocks, Grace Turner had a match-high 16 kills. Abby Tadder added six kills to her impressive evening. Ashley Le had a double-double with 11 assists and ten digs, and Brooklyn Borum picked up ten digs as well. It was a decent showing for the Cavaliers against one of the best teams in the nation, but they were unable to keep the momentum going after their first set win and Pitt managed to avoid the upset. 

Sunday (10/2) - Virginia 1, Duke 3

Hitting the road for the first time in conference play, Virginia traveled to Durham to take on Duke on Sunday afternoon at Cameron Indoor. The Blue Devils took the first two sets, making it five set losses in a row for the Cavaliers, who then bounced back to take the third, but fell in a hard-fought fourth set to end the match with Duke prevailing 25-14, 25-14, 16-25, 28-26. 

The Blue Devils dominated each of the first two sets, using an 8-0 run to take control of the first set and building a quick insurmountable 15-4 edge to start the second set. 

Virginia battled back in the third, using a 4-0 run midway through to take the lead and then scored seven of the last eight points to take the set 25-16 and force a fourth set. Chloe Wilson recorded four of her eight kills in the third set to help the Hoos stay alive. 

Neither team led by more than three points in a fourth set that was a nail-biter from start to finish. UVA rallied from down 22-19 and then had two set point opportunities that would have forced a deciding fifth set had the Cavaliers cashed in, but the Blue Devils were able to hold them off and then scored three-straight points to clinch the match, taking advantage of some late errors by Virginia. 

Grace Turner was a force in the fourth set, tallying six of her team-leading nine kills. Veresia Yon led the Hoos with six blocks, Ashley Le tallied 18 assists, and Madison Morey had 15 digs. 

After completing non-conference play with the program's best record since 2004, Virginia has lost four-straight to fall to 8-7 overall and 0-4 in ACC play. UVA is on the road for its next two matches, heading south for matchups at No. 11 Georgia Tech on Friday night and at Clemson on Sunday afternoon. 

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